Empty Pockets = Sorted Ls

[Cotswold Pete]

Well this years MOT has been a bit of an expensive saga.

Had a service just before MOT and they reckoned that it would fail on rear upper arms, and front tie rods.

Well it did not fail on that, but on a broken rear coil spring (no wonder it felt so awful these past few weeks).

So we went for having it all done, and then when the full alignment was being done, a bolt on a rear lower suspension arm went.

So all in all been with the car for a week (seems to be delays on getting parts).

So now just a shade over £2K lighter on the old bank balance.

BUT - the old girl drives like a dream, so hopefully a decade or more of motoring without too much to worry about (fingers crossed)

The chaps at Gas & Go in Swindon did a good job - as ever.

Now just need to save up a bit and get the vandalised paintwork sorted, but that will have to wait another couple of months.

[Malc]

............. what is the mileage for all this work to be done ??

Malc

[moriwaki]

I paid four grand for my mk3 in 2005....over the next 5 years I spent approx the same again on parts and maintainance.....but in my opinion it was worth every penny.........

I foolishly bought a 460 and lost thousands on it over the next 2 years.....I never liked it ....then traded that for an almost new Touareg Turbo diesel V8....was nothing but trouble....always in the dealers.....so got rid...lost another 15 grand.....moral of the story....keep your amazing 400s and forget about the parts and maintainance costs....it is nothing compared to the massive depreciation on a new or newer car......I look for my old 400 on the bay etc... every day.

pay the money and enjoy the best car in the world......there will never be another as good....EU emissions and safety laws have seen to that.

And like Cotswold Pete says....the car will drive beautifully again.....well worth it.

[Cotswold Pete]

............. what is the mileage for all this work to be done ??

Malc

Malc,

Coming up to 153,000 miles. I drive it every day.

I only paid £2300 for this one 3 years ago, so in reality I think I am quids in compared to other cars I have had.

I still tell everyone this is the cheapest car I have ever run, and it's not even LPG.

Must say that when I was in garage and having good look underneath it was in amazing nick (apart from that darned bolt).

[Malc]

......... very cheap motoring then, well done, but tbh it's only what we have come to expect from the Ls400 .......................

these are just amazing cars, can't see me ever being without my Ls400 ....... or if I " lose " it, a simple replacement like for like.

Malc

[Slobbo]

Was that £2k for springs a bolt and a 4 wheel alignment? Was that a lexus stealer or a Indi garage?

[Chris Skelton]

Gas + Go sounds odd, but they have a Lexus trained mechanic there. I had Cam Belt done there 3+ years back. They are an lpg garage, hence the name.

[Slobbo]

What did you have done that cost £2k?

[Cotswold Pete]

What did you have done that cost £2k?

The parts were

Suspension arm (1 of)

Cam Adjuster (1 of)

Cam (1 of)

Rear Coil Spring (1 of)

Rear Upper arm (2 of)

Tie rod front (2 of)

Adjuster (2 of)

Cost of that lot £1016 + VAT (so £1220)

The rest of the £2K was labour, wheel alignment (£78 inc VAT), and MOT fee (£35)

So labour was a shade over £600 inc VAT. (charge £66 per hour inclusive of the VAT)

I know I could have got parts cheaper from Japan, but that would have meant me being without a car for over two weeks, and as it is my daily run about, not much choice.

It was someone else on this forum that recommended Gas & Go. They are genuinely nice guys, and one drives a 430, and one drives a 200 of some type.

As they are right next to the station at Swindon easy to catch a train home after I drop it off for it's service.

I keep records of all the costs of all my previous cars, and I knew that at around 150K to 180K miles this kind of cost was going to be coming along, but so glad I have invested the money in the car, and today driving back to Swindon Outlet village so that the missus can really empty to bank account!!!

[Chris Skelton]

Sucker! DON'T mention Swindon's Outlet Village as a 'bribe'!

Just concentrate on how safe/comfortable etc the lovely car is!